Pre-planning for the first Hawkeye Science Fair began in 1958 when representatives of the Iowa Medical Society, the Des Moines Register and Tribune Co., and Drake University met to discuss the feasibility of organizing to sponsor a science fair. Later, the Scanlon Medical Foundation was added to the list of sponsors. The first fair was held in the spring of 1959

Stroud, Dean

University of Northern Iowa

Iowa Science Teachers Journal Volume 14 Number 1 Article 16 1977 Eighteen Years of the Hawkeye Science Fair Dean Stroud Drake University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/istj  Part of the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits you Copyright © Copyright 1977 by the Iowa Academy of Science Recommended Citation Stroud, Dean (1977) "Eighteen Years of the Hawkeye Science Fair," Iowa Science Teachers Journal: Vol. 14 : No. 1 , Article 16. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/istj/vol14/iss1/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa Academy of Science at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Iowa Science Teachers Journal by an authorized editor of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uni.edu. EIGHTEEN YEARS OF THE HAWKEYE SCIENCE FAIR Dean Stroud Director of the Hawkeye Science Fair Drake University Des Moines, Iowa 50311 Pre-planning for the first Hawkeye Science Fair began in 1958 when representatives of the Iowa Medical Society, the Des Moines Register and Tribune Co., and Drake University met to discuss the feasibility of organizing to sponsor a science fair. Later , the Scanlon Medical Foundation was added to the list of sponsors. The first fair was held in the spring of 19 59. The general planning for the annual fair is done by a committee made up of representatives from the sponsoring organizations. These organizations underwrite all the financial support for the fair which amounts to several thousand dollars annually. Financial support for scholarships , materials and monetary awards is furnished by interested individuals and business firms. Over the years, the number of entries has grown from 150 to 800. These entries can come from any pu pi! interested in science who is a student in any private , parochial or public school in the state of Iowa from grades seven through twelve . Most entries come from the junior high grades with a lesser number of participants corning from senior high schools. The quality of projects entered, continues to be very good. This is especially true of the senior high winners who have represented the Hawkeye Science Fair at the International Science and Engineering Fair and received recognition. Three different winners have been chosen to receive the Cherry Blossom Award. This award entails an all-expense paid trip for project exhibition at the National Science Fair in Japan every January. The Hawkeye Science Fair has been held annually at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines , usually in the first or second week-end in April. Preliminary judging is done on Friday afternoon and evening by science teachers of the junior and senior high schools over the state. Final judging is done on Saturday by people from the college and university level who are specialists in their field . Special awards are made by business firms and organizations such as the American Meterological Society , the American Pharmaceutical Association , the American Society for Microbiology , the American Speech and Hearing Association, the Eastman Kodak Company, the Junior Engineering Technical Society, the Marine Technology Society of the U.S. Naval Insti tute , the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of Interior , and the United States Army. Many schools bring students by the bus load to observe the fair and there are scheduled hours when exhibits may be viewed by the public . The total 33 program ends at seven o'clock on Saturday evening when exhibitors assemble for the awards program. After brief greetings from representatives of the sponsoring organizations, the names of winners are announced and awards of various types are presented. The climax of the awards presentation is reached when the names of finalists are announced. Finalists receive an all-expense paid trip to a 'City in the United States where the annual International Science and Engineering Fair will be held and where they can compete for further awards. Each of the finalists also receive a scholarship payment of four hundred dollars when they enroll in a bonafide college or university of their choice. All in all , the Hawkeye Science Fair is a rewarding experience for everyone concerned. * * * Book Review Loving and Beyond: Science Teaching for the Humanistic Classroom by Joe Abruscato and Jack Hassard Published by Goodyear Publishing Company, Inc. Loving and Beyond is a soft cover book that provides practical suggestions for making the science classroom a humane place where student curiosity about their own environment can be nurtured and developed. The thoroughly personal approach to science teaching provides examples of an approach to science and to teaching that is "humanistic." The writing style is personal with each chapter ending with "conversations." All suggestions the authors make are sensible, exciting, and illustrate the human interaction that ideally characterizes the school environment. Although the activities and the examples are most appropriate for the elementary and junior high levels, all science teachers (high school and college) will find a message concerning an approach to science learning. The authors are successful in communicating how science classrooms can foster experiences with science in a way that is exciting and meaningful to students. The ideas in the book are fresh and illustrate the potential that exists for stimulating students. The first part of the book includes ideas for organizing, managing, and planning for a humane classroom. The last part includes a resource of activities that can be used in the classroom. Loving and Beyond--just published--is a book that should find immediate use in pre-service programs, in-service workshops , and classrooms for teachers desiring a more humanistic science. Robert E. Yager University of Iowa 34 

Eighteen Years of the Hawkeye Science Fair

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Eighteen Years of the Hawkeye Science Fair

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